A measurement device (MD) includes a processor to sample electrical signals of a circuit connected to a sensor, such as a current transformer, and to provide measurement data to a processing system (PS) based on the sampled electrical signals. An electrical circuit carrying AC electricity to and from an electrical shop tool (EST) can pass through the sensor. The measurement data can represent use or non-use of the EST. An EST, such as a vehicle lift or wheel balancer, can comprise an electrical motor connected to the electrical circuit. An EST, such as an air compressor, can comprise an electrical pump connected to the electrical circuit. The PS can determine an actionable condition based on a single measurement value or an aggregate of measurement values and determine a notification to send to a destination regarding the actionable condition. The destination can be a user account, a smartphone, or another destination.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A system comprising: a sensor to output and/or generate a sensor signal pertaining to use of an electrical shop tool, wherein the electrical shop tool includes a vehicle lift, a wheel balancer, a brake lathe or a tire changer machine; one or more processors configured to sample the sensor signal periodically during one or more preceding time intervals and to sample the sensor signal periodically during a next preceding time interval, wherein the next preceding time interval occurs after the one or more preceding time intervals; a non-transitory computer-readable medium to store first data values based on the one or more processors sampling the sensor signal periodically during the one or more preceding time intervals and second data values based on sampling the sensor signal periodically during the next preceding time interval, wherein the first data values are not transmitted to a processing system before a transmission time occurring after the next preceding time interval ends if each data value of the first data values represents a current flow to the electrical shop tool was below a threshold amperage; and a first network transceiver configured to transmit, to a network for transmission to the processing system for determining an actionable condition of the electrical shop tool, the second data values at the transmission time occurring after the next preceding time interval ends if at least one data value of the second data values represents a current flow to the electrical shop tool exceeds the threshold amperage.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to determine a sampled sensor signal value for each periodic sample of the sensor signal, and wherein the one or more processors is configured to scale the sampled sensor signal values using a linear scale to determine data values based on the sensor signal sampled by the one or more processors or using a non-linear scale to determine data values based on the sensor signal sampled by the one or more processors.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor signal represents a detected position, velocity, acceleration, or jerk, wherein the one or more processors is configured to determine a sampled sensor signal value for each periodic sample of the sensor signal, and wherein the one or more processors is configured to summarize the sampled sensor signal values into an array.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes a first current transformer including a first conductive coil with a first transformer lead and a second transformer lead, wherein the first conductive coil is configured with a central passageway through which a conductor carrying alternating current to or from the electrical shop tool can pass, and wherein the sensor signal represents a voltage differential across the first transformer lead and the second transformer lead.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more processors determines an amperage value corresponding to each voltage differential sample, and wherein the first data values and the second data values represent the amperage values determined by the one or more processors.
6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: a real-time clock to output timing signals for use by the one or more processors to perform at least one of: (i) determine when to sample the sensor signal, (ii) record a time when each data value indicating a sampled sensor signal was sampled, and (iii) determine when the first network transceiver is to transmit data indicating the sampled sensor signal.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first network transceiver transmits the second data values at the transmission time occurring after the next preceding time interval ends if at least one data value stored during the next preceding time interval represents a current flow to a motor exceeded 0.0 amperes, or transmits the second data values stored during a most-recent data collection period upon a maximum report-to-report time elapsing.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the threshold amperage is 0.0 amperes.
9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: the processing system, wherein the processing system comprises one or more additional processors, at least one computer-readable data storage device, and a second network transceiver to receive the second data values transmitted by the first network transceiver, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine at least one actionable condition of the electrical shop tool based on, at least in part, the second data values transmitted by the first network transceiver.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more additional processors are configured to cause the second network transceiver to transmit a notification of the at least one actionable condition to at least one destination associated with the electrical shop tool.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor signal includes an electrical signal.
12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: one or more connectors configured to connect to one or more circuits extending between the sensor and the electrical shop tool and one or more circuits leading to an AC electrical supply.
13. A method comprising: outputting and/or generating, by a sensor, a sensor signal pertaining to use of an electrical shop tool, wherein the electrical shop tool includes a vehicle lift, a wheel balancer, a brake lathe or a tire changer machine; sampling, by one or more processors, the sensor signal periodically during one or more preceding time intervals and the sensor signal periodically during a next preceding time interval, wherein the next preceding time interval occurs after the one or more preceding time intervals; storing, at a non-transitory computer-readable medium, first data values based on the sampling the sensor signal periodically during one or more preceding time intervals and second data values based on the sampling the sensor signal periodically during the next preceding time interval, wherein the first data values are not transmitted to a processing system before a transmission time occurring after the next preceding time interval ends if each data value of the first data values represents a current flow to the electrical shop tool was below a threshold amperage; and transmitting, by a first network transceiver to a network for transmission to the processing system for determining an actionable condition of the electrical shop tool, the second data values at the transmission time occurring after the next preceding time interval ends if at least one data value of the second data values represents a current flow to the electrical shop tool exceeds the threshold amperage.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising: determining, by the one or more processors, a sampled sensor signal value for each periodic sample of the sensor signal, and scaling, by the one or more processors, the sampled sensor signal values using a linear scale to determine the second data values based on the sensor signal sampled by the one or more processors or using a non-linear scale to determine the second data values based on the sensor signal sampled by the one or more processors.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the sensor signal represents a detected position, velocity, acceleration, or jerk, wherein the method further comprises: determining, by the one or more processors, a sampled sensor signal value for each periodic sample of the sensor signal, and summarizing the sampled sensor signal values into an array.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the sensor includes a first current transformer including a first conductive coil with a first transformer lead and a second transformer lead, wherein the first conductive coil is configured with a central passageway through which a conductor carrying alternating current to or from the electrical shop tool can pass, and wherein the sensor signal represents a voltage differential across the first transformer lead and the second transformer lead.
17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising: determining, by the one or more processors, an amperage value corresponding to each voltage differential sample, and wherein the second data values represent the amperage values determined by the one or more processors.
18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising: outputting, by a real-time clock, timing signals for use by the one or more processors to perform at least one of: (i) determining when to sample the sensor signal, (ii) recording a time when each data value indicating a sampled sensor signal was sampled, and (iii) determining when the first network transceiver is to transmit data indicating the sampled sensor signal.
19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising: transmitting, by the first network transceiver, the second data values at the transmission time occurring after the next preceding time interval ends if at least one data value stored during the next preceding time interval represents a current flow to a motor exceeded 0.0 amperes.
20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the threshold amperage is 0.0 amperes.
21. The method of claim 13 , wherein the processing system comprises at least one other processor, at least one computer-readable data storage device, and a second network transceiver to receive the second data values transmitted by the first network transceiver, the method further comprising: determining, by the at least one other processor, the actionable condition of the electrical shop tool based on, at least in part, the second data values transmitted by the first network transceiver.
22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising: transmitting, by the second network transceiver, notification of the actionable condition to at least one destination associated with the electrical shop tool.
23. A system for reporting data pertaining to an actionable condition of an electrical shop tool, the system comprising: a sensor to output and/or generate a sensor signal pertaining to use of the electrical shop tool, wherein the electrical shop tool includes a vehicle lift, a wheel balancer, a brake lathe or a tire changer machine; one or more processors configured to periodically sample the sensor signal; a non-transitory computer-readable medium to store data values based on the sensor signal sampled by the one or more processors; and a first network transceiver to transmit the data values based on the sensor signal sampled by the one or more processors to a network for transmission to a processing system for determining an actionable condition of the electrical shop tool based on the data values, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprises program instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the first network transceiver to request time information from a remote device comprising a second network transceiver, and to use the time information as a basis to perform at least one of: (i) determine when to sample the sensor signal, (ii) record a time when each data value indicating a sampled sensor signal was sampled, and (iii) determine when the first network transceiver is to transmit data indicating the sampled sensor signal.
24. A method for reporting data pertaining to an actionable condition of an electrical shop tool, the method comprising: outputting and/or generating, by a sensor, a sensor signal pertaining to use of an electrical shop tool, wherein the electrical shop tool includes a vehicle lift, a wheel balancer, a brake lathe or a tire changer machine; sampling, periodically by one or more processors, the sensor signal; storing, at a non-transitory computer-readable medium, data values based on the sensor signal sampled by the one or more processors; and transmitting, by a first network transceiver, the data values to a network for transmission to a processing system for determining an actionable condition of the electrical shop tool based on the data values, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprises program instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the first network transceiver to request time information from a remote device comprising a second network transceiver, and to use the time information as a basis to perform at least one of: (i) determining when to sample the sensor signal, (ii) recording a time when each data value indicating a sampled sensor signal was sampled, and (iii) determining when the first network transceiver is to transmit data indicating the sampled sensor signal.
25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a computing system to perform functions comprising: sampling, periodically, a sensor signal periodically during one or more preceding time intervals and the sensor signal periodically during a next preceding time interval, wherein the next preceding time interval occurs after the one or more preceding time intervals, and wherein the sensor signal is generated or output by a sensor pertaining to use of an electrical shop tool, wherein the electrical shop tool includes a vehicle lift, a wheel balancer, a brake lathe or a tire changer machine; storing first data values based on the sampling the sensor signal periodically during the one ore more preceding time intervals and second data values based on the sampling the sensor signal periodically during the next preceding time interval, wherein the first data values are not transmitted to a processing system before a transmission time occurring after the next preceding time interval ends if each data value of the first data values represents a current flow to the electrical shop tool was below a threshold amperage; transmitting, to a network for transmission to the processing system for determining an actionable condition of the electrical shop tool, the second data values at the transmission time occurring after the next preceding time interval ends if at least one data value of the second data values represents a current flow to the electrical shop tool exceeds the threshold amperage.
26. A system for reporting data pertaining to an actionable condition of an electrical shop tool, the system comprising: a current sensor to output and/or generate a sensor signal pertaining to use of the electrical shop tool, wherein the electrical shop tool includes a vehicle lift, a wheel balancer, a brake lathe or a tire changer machine, and wherein the current sensor includes a current transformer or a Hall sensor; one or more processors configured to periodically sample the sensor signal; a non-transitory computer-readable medium to store data values based on the sensor signal sampled by the one or more processors; and a first network transceiver to transmit the data values based on the sensor signal sampled by the one or more processors to a network for transmission to a processing system for determining an actionable condition of the electrical shop tool based on the data values.
27. The system of claim 26 , wherein the current transformer includes a first conductive coil with a first transformer lead and a second transformer lead, wherein the first conductive coil is configured with a central passageway through which a conductor carrying alternating current to or from the electrical shop tool can pass, and wherein the sensor signal represents a voltage differential across the first transformer lead and the second transformer lead.
28. A method for reporting data pertaining to an actionable condition of an electrical shop tool, the method comprising: outputting and/or generating, by a current sensor, a sensor signal pertaining to use of an electrical shop tool, wherein the electrical shop tool includes a vehicle lift, a wheel balancer, a brake lathe or a tire changer machine, and wherein the current sensor includes a current transformer or a Hall sensor; sampling, periodically by one or more processors, the sensor signal; storing, at a non-transitory computer-readable medium, data values based on the sensor signal sampled by the one or more processors; and transmitting, by a first network transceiver, the data values to a network for transmission to a processing system for determining an actionable condition of the electrical shop tool based on the data values.
29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the current transformer includes a first conductive coil with a first transformer lead and a second transformer lead, wherein the first conductive coil is configured with a central passageway through which a conductor carrying alternating current to or from the electrical shop tool can pass, and wherein the sensor signal represents a voltage differential across the first transformer lead and the second transformer lead.
30. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a computing system to perform functions comprising: sampling, periodically, a sensor signal generated or output by a sensor pertaining to use of an electrical shop tool, wherein the electrical shop tool includes a vehicle lift, a wheel balancer, a brake lathe or a tire changer machine; storing data values based on the sensor signal sampled periodically; requesting and receiving time information from a remote device; and transmitting the data values based on the sensor signal sampled periodically to a network for transmission to a processing system for determining an actionable condition of the electrical shop tool based on the data values, wherein the time information from the remote device is used to (i) determine when to sample the sensor signal periodically, (ii) record a time when each data value indicating the sensor signal was sampled, and/or (iii) determine when to transmit the data values based on sensor signal sampled periodically.
31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a computing system to perform functions comprising: sampling, periodically, a sensor signal generated or output by a current sensor pertaining to use of an electrical shop tool, wherein the electrical shop tool includes a vehicle lift, a wheel balancer, a brake lathe or a tire changer machine, and wherein the current sensor includes a current transformer or a Hall sensor; storing data values based on the sensor signal sampled by the one or more processors; and transmitting the data values based on the sensor signal sampled by the one or more processors to a network for transmission to a processing system for determining an actionable condition of the electrical shop tool based on the data values.
32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31 , wherein the current transformer includes a first conductive coil with a first transformer lead and a second transformer lead, wherein the first conductive coil is configured with a central passageway through which a conductor carrying alternating current to or from the electrical shop tool can pass, and wherein the sensor signal represents a voltage differential across the first transformer lead and the second transformer lead.
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July 28, 2017
November 5, 2019
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